<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Sii Sempre Felice by Tahlruil</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259457">Sii Sempre Felice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tahlruil/pseuds/Tahlruil'>Tahlruil</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Powers, Attempt at Humor, Families of Choice, Fluff and mild angst, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Past Child Abuse, M/M, Mechanic Tony Stark, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Referenced Minor Character Death, Secret Identity, Tony Stark Has A Heart, kind of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:07:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259457</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tahlruil/pseuds/Tahlruil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the deaths of Howard and Maria, Tony nearly lost himself for a while. Thanks to Rhodey, his spatially challenged metal son and a message from Maria, he managed to pull himself together. In doing so, he also abandoned the Stark name, moved out to the middle of nowhere, and became a full-time mechanic. Everyone has issues, and he's pretty sure they can all be hidden from.</p>
<p>Then, thanks to another tragic twist of fate, Peter Parker becomes a new fixture in his life. With the kid comes a host of people he might be able to call family... just as long as he doesn't fuck everything up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dummy (Iron Man Movies) &amp; Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark, Tony Stark &amp; The Parkers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>170</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sii Sempre Felice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Heya! :D </p>
<p>So this was supposed to be for a Peter &amp; Tony BB that didn't happen for reasons that I can't quite recall at the moment? But yeah. So this has been sitting in my WIP for a long time - it's from 2018 XD - and I felt like starting to tidy it up and then post it. There's like, two more parts I think? But they aren't quite as salvageable, and even this is more a series of vignettes than a 'proper' fic, but I'm happy enough with it not to tinker. Other parts will come as I'm happy with them.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading! :D Comments are much loved and appreciated. &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"This is... not the part I asked for. Not even a little bit. Catalytic converters and distributor cables look nothing alike. What the hell is he doing back there?" His knees creaked as he levered himself up off the floor, the newest in a string of reminders that he wasn't young anymore. Tony made a face as he rubbed at the right one, wondering where the time had gone. Seemed like just yesterday he'd opened up the shop, and now he'd turned into an old man while he wasn't paying attention. "Dum-E! Where are you, you bucket of bolts? And why the fuck did you bring me a cataly-- hey buddy."</p>
<p>Despite the mess-up he still greeted the silly old 'bot fondly, hand lifting up to pat the top of his claw. He got a whistle in answer instead of the usual beep and his eyes narrowed. That was the 'I'm definitely not hiding anything so please don't check on anything I've done because I absolutely have not made a mess that you will have to clean up and by the way don't look behind me because there isn't a thing going wrong' whistle. Like him, Dum-E could pack a lot of words into a very small space of time.</p>
<p>"Uh-huh. What's goin' on, you hunk of junk?" He stepped to the side, prepared to go investigate the matter, only to have the 'bot follow him with an alarmed beep. Dum-E held his claw out, splayed in warning while a series of anxious noises filled the air. Another step to the side with the 'bot following, and a third. Trying this hard to keep him away was not Dum-E's style at all - usually after Tony's initial attempt to discover the issue he would trundle right over to it, head hung low as he beeped apologies. The hedging and refusal to let him pass was new and extremely concerning. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on, stat.</p>
<p>It was easy to fake the 'bot out - too easy, which meant that he really should get on some new upgrades. He faked a dodge left and went right instead, leaving poor Dum-E whistling in outrage and... worry?</p>
<p>The only car parked in the back where his metal son worked belonged to the Parkers. <em>Had</em> belonged to the Parkers. He hadn't had a chance to get in touch with the brother to find out what he wanted to do with it. Maybe that was for the best, considering the... circumstances. That family needed some quiet time to grieve, not some asshole mechanic making everything worse. He <em>always</em> made everything worse, no exceptions. He didn't have any pressing need to empty that spot, so he could give them a little breathing room.</p>
<p>Was that a sniffle he'd just heard?</p>
<p>Tony stopped in his tracks, ears perked for any hint of strange sounds. His 'bot took the chance to grab hold of the back of his shirt, tugging lightly to try and get him to step away. "Are you... are you hiding a fugitive back here? We've talked about this Dum-E. Not everyone can be trusted and we don't let in strange people off the street because they could be crazed murderers. You know how Rhodey feels about either one of us getting murdered to death. He'd probably even go and tell people who we are for the funerals, which would ruin that whole secret identity thing we've got going. So you tell me the truth so I don't have to donate you to the local corner store to stock fruit - are you harboring a murder-type fugitive?"</p>
<p>Dum-E's shrill denial was joined by a sob that tore at his heart. "Dum-dum, let me go." his 'stern voice' was enough to get the 'bot to do what he was told. There was definitely crying going on, and it sounded like it might be a little kid, which was just... fuck, he was not equipped for this. He was good with machines and messing everything else up. Dealing with a crying minor was not something he should be allowed to do, but Dum-E was a soft touch. Of course he'd let an upset kid hide in the workshop.</p>
<p>He'd expected the little child person to be behind the car, but there was no one. Not until he looked inside it anyway.</p>
<p>"Fuck," he whispered, then hit his forehead against the roof of the car a few times. It was the Parker kid - Peter, he was pretty sure. He had a seven year old who had just lost both parents crying in the backseat of the car those parents had owned, and just... "Fuckity fuck fuck fuck. God dammit. Dum-E why couldn't you have been hiding a murderer?"</p>
<p>That was probably an insensitive thing to talk about. The Parkers hadn't been murdered, but still. The whole death thing was clearly still a sore subject, and murder was all about the death thing, so he needed to put the kibosh on the murder talk. It was just that now all he was thinking about was murderers and the death thing because he was trying so hard not to. Dum-E was scrap-heap bound in the morning for doing this to him.</p>
<p>When he finally peeked into the window again, he suddenly met Peter's eyes. He jumped away, bit back another swear word, then took a deep breath. He couldn't do this, definitely not, but there wasn't anyone else around to try. If he got out of this without further scarring the kid for life, he was going to go ahead and call it a win. Okay. He was going in.</p>
<p>Peter flinched away when the door opened, and soon had himself tucked all the way against the door on the opposite end of the backseat. Tony took his cue from that and slid into the car but stayed well away from the kid. He didn't need the little ankle-biter getting a clear shot at him. For a while there was a silent standoff, with both of them refusing to speak and Tony refusing to look over to see if the kid was staring at him. His brain was scrambling, going a million miles as he tried to think of something to say.</p>
<p>Weirdly all he was coming up with was Euler's formula. While it was a beautiful piece of mathematical reasoning, he wasn't sure the Parker kid would want to hear about it just then.</p>
<p>"... that offer of a candy bar is still very much a standing one. Want me to hit the vending machine?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"Okay." Tony squirmed a little, trying his best not to let on how fucking awkward he felt. He could do it. He could absolutely wait out a seven year old. For sure. Just to prove that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the mini metal puzzles Dum-E had designed for him. Maybe he was a little challenged, but the 'bot sure knew how to make a puzzle that kept him on his toes. The soft clinks soothed some of his anxiety and lessened the need to talk. When his hands were busy his soul was quiet - quieter, anyway, and he needed that to weather the crazy uncomfortable scenario his 'bot had engineered.</p>
<p>"You're doing it wrong."</p>
<p>"Excuse you, there is only one genius in this car and--" Tony bit back the rest, counted to ten in his head, then looked over at the kid. There were still tears welling in his eyes, and every few seconds he gave a truly heartbreaking sniffle as he wiped at his nose with one way too long sleeve. Probably his dad's sweatshirt then. Fuck. "I'm not doing it wrong."</p>
<p>"Are too." The kid swiped at his eyes with the other sleeve, lower lip wobbling the whole time. "Coulda solved it by now."</p>
<p>"Listen squirt," Tony saw a hint of a smile on Peter's face at the familiar nickname before the look faded back into sorrow. "I know you think you know all about math and science, but I am a literal genius. I could legally put 'Doctor' in front of my name if I wanted." Well, if he wanted to reclaim his old name he could. "I have two PhD's and could get more if I was so inclined. So when I say I'm not doing this stupid puzzle wrong, I think I know what I'm talking about."</p>
<p>"Doesn't change the fact that you're--"</p>
<p>"If you say what I think you're going to say..."</p>
<p>"You won't do anything. Nobody will. Yesterday I put gum in Cindy's hair and the teacher made <em>her</em> apologize to <em>me</em>." More tears sprang to little Parker's eyes, and fuck. Tony didn't know how the hell to handle this. Even the teacher was getting it wrong and there was no way he was going to do better. "My parents are dead and everyone is being so <em>nice</em>, and, and, and..."</p>
<p>Tony hurt for the kid. He knew what it was like, when kindness became a poison and nobody would treat you like you were just a person anymore. When tragedy became the thing that defined you and no one knew how to handle it so they just... didn't. They were just so damned <em>nice</em> so they didn't have to do anything else and it fucking sucked.</p>
<p>"If you say it then you're going to have to help me with the car I'm working on. Lots of heavy lifting, gross oil stains all over your hands and clothes, maybe a small chance that your fingers are going to get crushed. That'll show you. And here." He handed over the puzzle, which earned him another shaky, brief smile. "If you're so damn smart you do it." He leaned his head back instead of watching - the kid deserved some time to get himself together. He hadn't seen Peter all that often or for long stretches, but he still knew a little about him. He was a bright kid who always had his hands in something. Happiest Tony had ever seen him was when he'd let the kid 'help' him check under the hood of the Parker's car when it stalled on one of the back roads. His mom had laughed with gratitude in her eyes when Tony let Peter be the one to bring the car roaring back to life.</p>
<p>He had the sneaking suspicion that Peter was a little bit like him. Maybe if he could keep those hands busy it would give him the time he needed to figure out how to help the kid.</p>
<p>Even if he wasn't the one manipulating it, the sound of metal on metal still helped keep him pretty relaxed considering the circumstances. He had expected it to last longer though. Usually Dum's new puzzles could keep him occupied for several minutes. More than five sometimes, because as fucked as his spatial relations were Dum-E was still a robot and could beat Tony when he really tried.</p>
<p>So when Peter threw one half of the puzzle into his lap only a minute or so later, he was both impressed and a little annoyed.</p>
<p>"You are like five," he said in an attempt to keep the semi-smug look on the kid's face alive. "You don't even have a firm grasp on how your fingers work. You should not be able to figure shi... stuff like that out so damn quick."</p>
<p>"You would have figured it out too if you weren't..." Peter bit his lower lip, eyes searching Tony's face. Fuck, he wished he weren't so awful with people. If his skills weren't so deficient he might know what the kid was looking for. He might at least know what to say that wouldn't kill the hopeful light in his eyes. "If you weren't doing it wrong."</p>
<p>That was a clue, one written in huge blinking letters. Neon even, surrounded by lights and maybe accompanied by a few blaring sounds. He could have hugged the kid for making it so easy to figure out what to do.</p>
<p>"Okay. That's it. You get right up off your butt muster. I'm putting you to work for being such a brat. Maybe a little bit for showing me up, but mostly for being such a little shit about it." He was half out of the car when the swear word dropped out. Dum-E took the opportunity to give a little wail of despair before reaching in and trying to cover one of Peter's ears. The kid didn't quite giggle, but he did wrap his arms around Dum-E and gave him a tight squeeze.</p>
<p>"Thanks for letting me in."</p>
<p>He pretended he hadn't heard that quiet whisper. Wasn't meant for him anyway. Part of him knew he should be asking why the kid was there, if his aunt and uncle knew where he was. Fuck, he should probably be demanding their number so he could call them to come pick the kid up. They were probably worried, and…</p>
<p>And he remembered being seventeen and sobbing himself hoarse in his father’s workshop after the accident. He remembered sitting for hours in his mother’s dressing room to try and catch the hint of her scent before it faded from her clothes. Suddenly finding himself an orphan had been... it had been fucking <em>hard</em> and he hadn't even really liked his parents. He had been a lot older than Peter too. He could give the kid a little time before he kicked him back out into the world.</p>
<p>"So today I'm working on this hunk of junk over here. Owner should just scrap it, but--"</p>
<p>"Mister John wouldn't ever. He's had that car since probably before I was born."</p>
<p>"Maybe even before <em>I</em> was born." Peter made a rude noise of disbelief that kind of hurt his feeling. He threw an oil rag at the kid while sticking out his tongue and felt a knot of tension unwind in his chest when the kid caught the cloth and grinned. "Children who imply I am older than this bucket of rust do not get to learn how to fix engines. You are now relegated to handing things to Dum-dum so he can make sure you grabbed the right thing. He will be allowed to pass tools off to me, and I will do the actual fixing. I can tell you aren't listening to me, you know."</p>
<p>Not that he minded. He was always talking - nobody could listen that much, not even his 'bot. Definitely not a little kid running from grief and ready to dive into A Project to help him do it. The squirt was already standing on his tip-toes to peer into the car's innards and something about it tugged at the heart he usually said he didn't have. God, that had been him a few decades ago, and thank fuck Rhodey had been there to keep him from diving too far into the bottle or the party scene.</p>
<p>He couldn't help but look over at the note he kept tacked over his workbench. The paper, faded yellow with age, was kept protected behind a polymer he had invented expressly for that purpose. That note and the stupid, too-late sentiment it carried had almost been enough to save him on its own. It should have made everything worse, should have sent him spiraling... but it and his platypus had rescued him from Howard's legacy and his own self destructive habits.</p>
<p>Tony could never be someone's Rhodey. He didn't have it in him, didn't possess the necessary strength, capacity to forgive or the grace that one James Rhodes had been blessed with. Besides, the kid had an aunt and uncle who were probably right there, ready to offer that up to their nephew. Peter didn't need someone else trying to step into that role and that was perfect because Tony wouldn't have been able to keep from trying. He would have tried and proceeded to fuck it up in all kinds of ways, so thank Tesla the kid wasn't alone.</p>
<p>But maybe he could be like that stupid note, in spirit if not in form. He could maybe just sort of... be around and try really, really hard not to make things worse. Maybe he could help the kid remember that it was okay to be happy even after your whole world fell apart.</p>
<p>"New plan. Help me hook up the cables that Dum-E will bring me if he doesn't want to be donated to the food pantry. After that, we're gonna call your aunt and uncle because they must be going crazy wondering where you are." Fuck, he probably should make the kid call first, but it wouldn't take that long to get the cables settled and shit he was already messing up. Peter had wilted and was now almost draped over the engine - kid was gonna be a mess when he stood up. He looked so fucking unhappy already, and that was with Tony only sort of doing the right thing. Shit. "While we wait for them to come pick you up, we are going to do some science experiments, because I've heard about you, Mr. Parker, and your love of getting kitchens messy with sloppy science. I'm going to teach you some better habits for the future."</p>
<p>The kid looked up, expression guarded but hopeful. "Really?"</p>
<p>"Yeah. It'll take them a bit to get here - and I don't want to know how you got all the way out here all by yourself because I'll probably have a heart attack so it's a story I never need to hear. Deal?"</p>
<p>"Deal!"</p>
<p>"Okay. Dum-E has still not gotten the part I asked for almost twenty minutes ago - yes, I'm talking about you, you sloppy science experiment, and don't even with the sad beeping, I am immune - so while we wait for that I'll explain." It was easy to fall into shop talk and he was glad to see that Peter was keeping up with him. That was good. He was hoping to convince the aunt and uncle to let Peter come by for a few hours every week to do science, to give the kid A Project of his very own to fall into. If the kid really was as smart as his dad had boasted whenever he brought the car in for servicing, that would make the whole thing more enjoyable.</p>
<p>Even if the kid had been dumb as a box of rocks, he would have done it anyway. How could he not, when every brief grin of his lit up the whole workshop? Besides, now that Dum-E liked him there was no keeping Peter out. His 'bot was a terrible assistant but a really good friend - he would always let the kid in if he showed up. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to follow that example.</p>
<p>If everyone were a little more like Dum-dum the world would be a chaotic mess, sure, but people would also be a hell of a lot happier. And wasn't that really the point?</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~.~.~</p>
</div><p>Elementary school science was dumb and didn't get nearly enough emphasis in Tony's opinion. Yeah, sure, kids needed to be able to read and write - he got that. But there was science to be done that didn't need either skill and kids that needed science so they had something to be good at. From what he could see the education system didn't take that into account even a little bit. The whole thing was fucked and if he could have done it without reclaiming his real last name he absolutely would have opened up a school of his own. Instead all he did was scoff in disgust and look elsewhere for ideas on how to guide Peter Parker's Science Project.</p>
<p>Mostly he'd been reading mom blogs for the STEM posts. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.</p>
<p>It meant his kitchen was mostly full of shit to science with, not anything to actually eat. There was also the fact that it was all little science stuff, not anything worthy of a capital-P Project. The kid didn't seem to mind, but it kind of bothered him. Peter was too smart to be so limited - he might have to reach further into his own bag of science tricks, even if it risked the kid getting wise to the fact that he was more than met the eye. Worth it though if it got him away from using fucking baking soda and dish soap as primary ingredients.</p>
<p>Gave him something to think about while he ate a bowl of cheerios in his underwear too, so that was a plus. Dum-E was flopped over the opposite end of the couch, banished there because his excitability and liquid did not mix - Tony didn't want to end up covered in milk. Again. Aside from the occasional plaintive beep, he had accepted his fate with grace. The TV was on to provide some soothing background noise, and his brain was working hard on a solution.</p>
<p>Sucked that Peter seemed to like biology stuff more than car repair and engineering.</p>
<p>He was seriously considering just throwing an ant farm at the kid and running when a knock  at the door interrupted his musings. "Be right there!" Hoping the shout had reached whoever it was, sure that Dum-dum's cheery, chirping beep had, he set down his cereal and clambered to his feet. It  was something of a process, one that involved a long stretch at the end. Getting old fucking sucked. "I'm coming! On my way, promise!"</p>
<p>The knocks weren't coming so close together that they were obnoxious, but they were steady enough that it had him concerned. Fuck, that's how someone delivering awful news about Rhodey might knock. Nosy reporters or cronies sent by SI might have that same confidence, and he hoped like hell that none of those scenarios proved true. It was the thought of Rhodey being hurt or worse that propelled him to the door without stopping to pull on a shirt or pants. If something had happened to his platypus...</p>
<p>Instead when he flung open the door he came face to face with Aunt May. He pulled up short, blinking at the radical difference between his expectations and reality. She put up with that for longer than most people would, one brow slowly climbing upward. It wasn't until Dum-E trundled over and peered over his shoulder that her impassive face cracked into a small smile. "Hello Tony, Dum-E. May I come in or are you busy?"</p>
<p>"I am super not busy. Come in and uh, make yourself at home. I'm gonna, you know. Go put on some pants."</p>
<p>"I'd appreciate that." He liked Peter's aunt a lot. There was almost always a twinkle of mirth in her eyes and nothing seemed to really faze her. Seemed like good traits to have while raising a kid, especially since she had the more serious Uncle Ben to balance her out. "Not that the view is terrible, but I have trouble taking a man in underpants seriously."</p>
<p>"Plus Ben would come at me with a shotgun if he found out."</p>
<p>"He's not a barbarian Tony. He'd start with his fists and then see how that went." She laughed at the face he made, then stepped into the house at his welcoming gesture. "Well, he might if he didn't know that he's the only man for me. Go get dressed so we can have a little chat, will you? Will you keep me company while he's gone Dum-E?"</p>
<p>If there was one thing he loved best about the Parkers as a whole, it was their acceptance of his metal son. May and Ben had taken a little time, but now they greeted the 'bot easily and talked to him. Ben even played fetch with him sometimes if he came while Tony and Peter were wrapping up their science or repairs for the day.</p>
<p>Tony hadn't expected to find himself with a tiny extended family when he didn't shoo Peter out of his workshop that first day, but that was what he seemed to have gotten. As he headed off to grab some pants and a shirt, he began to worry that maybe he had fucked that up. Maybe May was there to tell him that he wasn't good for Peter, that the kid shouldn't come and hang out at the 'shop or his house anymore. Fuck, he didn't know if he could handle that. He liked the squirt, liked him a lot more than he had ever expected to like any kid, and spending time with him the past few months had been a blast.</p>
<p>He didn't know what he would do if he didn't have that anymore.</p>
<p>By the time he got back to the living room he had worked himself up to the edge of a panic attack. He couldn't figure out what he'd done to fuck this up, but it had to have been something. His mind was running over every possible way to keep May from cutting him out of Peter's life and coming up blank because he couldn't figure out what he'd done <em>wrong</em>. Even seeing her coo over Dum-E's latest attempt at metal sculpture couldn't calm the pounding of his heart or help him keep his breathing under control.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry for whatever it is," he blurted out when May looked up at him. Her warm smile faltered, and his stomach dropped. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. "I'll fix it - just tell me how to fix it and I will. I've been trying not to swear around him when I'm distracted and I've been doing a lot better at keeping track of time. Is it because I haven't found a big project for him yet? He's seemed happy but he's also so fucking smart May and I know I'm not like his teacher or his tutor or anything but I do want to try and challenge him I'm just having a hard time figuring out how to do that and keep things fun too. Is it about that bruise on his arm he had the other day? Because I swear to Tesla and Einstein that it was an accident and--"</p>
<p>"Tony!" May's face was suddenly right in front of his and her hands were on his shoulders. He wasn't sure if she'd been trying to get his attention through his whole speech because his vision had sort of tunneled a lot and his ears weren't working so good. She looked concerned, which was sweet considering he had somehow fucked everything up. Tony let her guide him over to the couch and sat at her urging; the firm stroke of her hand up and down his back was more soothing that it probably should have been.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," he whispered again, letting his head drop forward while he covered his face with his hands. "I didn't mean to fuck it up."</p>
<p>"Oh Tony. You didn't. There isn't anything to fix, okay? You didn't do anything wrong. Peter loves you and he loves spending time here. After he lost his parents..." She stopped and when he peeked up at her, her eyes were over bright. "You've really helped him Tony. He's still... he's still grieving and some days are worse than others, but I know for a fact that he would be worse off if you hadn't been there for him. Ben and I are so thankful for you."</p>
<p>"Oh."</p>
<p>"Yeah. Oh. Why on earth would you think--"</p>
<p>"I just... I always make things worse. And sometimes my brain and insecurities run away with me." The end of his adrenaline rush meant he was shaky and weak, and fuck he felt like a moron. When the hell was he going to put all the toxic lessons he'd learned as a kid behind him? "<em>Sii sempre felice</em>..."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Nothing. It's... my mom said it to me once." Too late, when she was dead and buried. He'd never heard her actually voice it and even if it had been part of what saved him... the more bitter side of him wished she'd fucking taken her own advice, left Howard and tried to help her son achieve the ideal. "Always be happy. I've never been too good at it. I guess most of the time I'm waiting for the things that make me happy to go away. Usually because I fuck it up."</p>
<p>"Well we're going to have to work on changing that. Because me, Ben and Peter? We're not going away, alright? We've adopted you and your 'bot, so you'll never get rid of us. I didn't come over to say you're cut out of Peter's life or whatever you thought I came here to do. I just wanted to stop in and say hi, because we're friends. This is an unplanned, on a whim friend visit. So." May reached out and ruffled his hair like he wasn't fifteen years or so older than her, that friendly grin back on her face. "Let's break out the beer and watch one of the rom coms I'm sure you have hidden around here somewhere."</p>
<p>"Dum-E likes them," he said automatically, part of his brain still trying to process whatever the fuck had just happened - whatever the fuck was still happening. "And I don't have beer. My sourpatch-- uh, my best friend. He hasn't been by in a while and he's the beer drinker. I have tequila, rum, or bourbon."</p>
<p>"Tequila!" May crowed, and a smile broke out on his face. Maybe he wasn't sure what exactly had happened, and maybe he knew that he was for sure going to fuck this up in the future, but for now he had the Parkers. It was definitely reason enough to get drunk, especially when May informed him that she was texting Ben that the two of them were having a 'girl's night in' and that she wouldn't be home until morning.</p>
<p>He had tried to help Peter because he saw a little bit of himself in the kid. Now he could admit that he was pretty fucking fond of the squirt and he was glad to have him in his life. Tony hadn't expected to gain more than a smart mentee that would grow into his quirkiness and shithead tendencies. It looked like he had gotten a whole lot more out of the deal, and he was so, so thankful for that. It was going to hurt like hell when it all came crashing down on him, but until then...</p>
<p>Tony was going to hold on to this happiness for as long as it could last.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~.~.~</p>
</div><p>"Tony! Tony. Tony. Tony. Tony. Hi Dum-E! Tony. Guess what? Guess what guess what? Toooony!"</p>
<p>He was still trying to shake himself out of an engineering fog after Peter had slammed his way into the workshop when the squirt slammed into him. It was second-nature to catch the kid up in a hug even when he hit hard enough to knock the wind out of Tony. The hug back was immediate, with Peter's mouth still running a mile a minute.</p>
<p>"You remember that kit you got me for growing bacteria? Well I got swabs from a bunch of different rooms and then one from inside my mouth and one from the bottom of my shoe and Tony. Tony! They're all growing the coolest, grossest things. The one from my shoe is sooo colorful, like the rain forest or something. And holy shmoley, I did the thing where you do a hand print in the gunk and Tony. Guess what?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"It's so gross! Even though I washed my hands and everything. Well, I put 'em under water. I didn't scrub very good I guess. But yeah. It's gross. I love it. Thank you soooo much!"</p>
<p>"You're welcome squirt. Play with those a little while longer and then we'll graduate you to microscopes. Sound good?"</p>
<p>"Sounds awesome!"</p>
<p>"Cool. How are you doing?" Now that the official sciencey geek-out was fone, he knew he would get an actual answer to the question. It was never worth it to try before Peter had gotten any exciting news out of the way. And what qualified as 'exciting news' was sometimes questionable and ridiculous. They once spent a whole hour talking about the squirrel Peter had watched outside his classroom window.</p>
<p>"I'm good! School was stupid."</p>
<p>"That one kid still giving you trouble?"</p>
<p>"No." He meant yes, but he was wearing the face that meant he would clam up and then withdraw completely if an adult kept pushing. For some reason the squirt wanted to deal with his bully all on his own. It was frustrating as fuck to try and honor the kid's wishes. "MJ was just out sick. School always sucks when she's not there. And there was only icky chili or peanut butter and jelly for lunch because I thought it was going to be pizza so I didn't pack anything. I got the chili and it was gross and not even in the good way like the bottom of my shoe. Can I play fetch with Dum-E for a while? Because I didn't have gym today and--"</p>
<p>"Be free, my little science prodigy. I should finish this design before we do anything else anyway. Then we'll do an Uncle Ben approved snack before we dive into some biology. Unless you want to work on one of the--"</p>
<p>"Biology please! Come on Dum! I brought a new kind of ball that I think you'll like a whole lot. Don't forget to drink some water Tony, and that we're gonna do science so you should set an alarm too. Let's go outside!" Peter finished fishing around in his backpack and tossed it to the ground carelessly after he had removed the ball. He pounded his way back out the door with Dum-E trailing after him with happy whistles.</p>
<p>They were good for each other - the squirt was teaching the 'bot about the world outside the workshop while Dum-E was someone Peter could just vent to. The 'bot never tried to 'fix' things, never offered more than a metal strut to cry on and a few comforting beeps. More than once the squirt had come back from playing fetch with tear-streaked cheeks and red eyes. On those days Dum hovered close afterwards and kicked up every antic he had that made Peter smile. </p>
<p>Tony liked to think of them as cousins. The idea that he and Dum-E were really part of the Parker family gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling that felt an awful lot like love. He was even toying with introducing them to Rhodey. Maybe one day he'd tell them his real last name. Peter was going to shit a brick if he ever found out who Tony used to be.</p>
<p>Turning his mind back to the little robot he was designing was hard. Pepper was going to kill him if he didn't finish it before the end of the week, and the woman was an absolute spitfire. She'd kick his ass without hesitation, which was why he had taken a chance on her. It in no way had anything to do with stealing her from the shoddy shell of SI, which was going to hire her for a position that would basically amount to a paid internship. She deserved better, and SI didn't deserve her... not that he knew for sure that was her story. That kind of info could only be obtained if someone was rummaging through SI's personnel databases, which would be illegal and very, very wrong.</p>
<p>In any case, Pepper Potts was a force to be reckoned with. She didn't take his shit, fully admitted that she didn't necessarily understand the tech side of things but was willing to learn a little, and she had absolutely zero interest in making anything that even resembled a weapon. All in all, she was the perfect person to tackle the business end of his new company.</p>
<p>Or what would be his new company if he ever finished enough designs to launch the initial product line.</p>
<p>Peter was 'sooo excited!' to see them all and had made Tony promise he would get at least two of the little robots for Christmas. Having his little squirt be so invested had made the whole thing more terrifying. Sure he enjoyed the unconditional support, but fuck he didn't want to disappoint the kid. Everything had to be perfect so Peter didn't get that... that look on his face, the one that Howard had worn all the time.</p>
<p>In defiance of the old man's bullshit, his first robot had been designed to resemble a dog. The second had been (of course) modeled after a platypus. Rhodey had left him a voicemail that was a solid two minutes of cussing after he had seen the design.</p>
<p>Tony was going to send him the prototype, and it was going to be a little more AI than the commercial ones were. A mere robot wouldn’t do for Rhodey. </p>
<p>When asked, the squirt said he wanted one that looked like a spider, which was just so weird and so Peter all over. It was that design that had him stuck because it needed to be perfect. Every time he thought he was done he noticed another flaw, another thing to fix or tweak. While agonizing over it he had given the green light for a panther, butterfly and dragon design. Pep was getting antsy, the two investors she had lured in were getting squirrel-y, and he just didn't know that he would ever be finished with the damn spider.</p>
<p>The kid might get a one-off, specialized design. He could whip up something new easily - a squirrel maybe, now that he was thinking of them. And really his squirt deserved something special anyway.</p>
<p>He made up his mind just in time to be too late to start. Peter rushed back in with a beaming smile on his face and new smears of dirt on his jeans. It was a good day then, even if his silly 'bot came back inside covered with mud. Getting him clean would be an adventure. With the kid around there was no such thing as a dull day.</p>
<p>"You didn't drink any water!"</p>
<p>"Did so."</p>
<p>"Did not. I can tell!"</p>
<p>"Cannot."</p>
<p>"Can so."</p>
<p>"Pffft. You're not a mind reader, squirt. I say I drank some water. Bring some proof to back up your hypothesis, mister."</p>
<p>"Where's your water bottle?"</p>
<p>Fuck. His eye twitched but he refused to turn his head and look for it - that would only confirm the squirt's theory. Having a water bottle at all was a new development, one that had happened because Peter and Ben were trying to take care of him. It was ridiculous and awesome at the same time, even if he didn't love all the healthy snacks. He was in no way used to keeping track of a fucking water bottle yet though.</p>
<p>"It's on my workbench." A bold lie, but one that had to be made. Maybe it was even there. Actually it would have to be, because hadn't he had some of it earlier? So maybe he could still get away with--</p>
<p>"Actually it's under the Buick."</p>
<p>"Ah."</p>
<p>"I put it there yesterday."</p>
<p>"Rude."</p>
<p>"Tony! You have to take care of yourself, okay? You promised, remember? You said you would. So you have to."</p>
<p>Guilt struck hard and vicious at the pleading tone in the kid's voice. Peter... he worried, more than he should a lot of the time. He got especially anxious over the people he cared about. Tony had somehow managed to secure himself a pretty high ranking on that list, and he really... he really should start taking better care of himself. He wasn't a spring chicken and he wanted to be around as long as possible. If that meant keeping track of a fucking water bottle, he guessed he could do that.</p>
<p>"I will. Promise. You just might have to remind me sometimes, okay? It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks."</p>
<p>"I asked Dum to remind you too!"</p>
<p>"Oh God. Peter I thought you loved me?" His metal son gave an indignant whistle and shook his claw at Tony in a clear reprimand. "Don't even, you rust bucket. I tried to teach you about fire extinguishers and you went all crazy with them for a while. I taught you how to make protein shakes and I still have nightmares about how that ended up. So can you please just not try to kill me with this new obsession?"</p>
<p>His metal son immediately began to complain, long and loud. Peter laughed the same way, and by Tesla it warmed the cockles of his once dead heart. While Dum-E paced and threw his claw up towards the heavens, he just watched the two of them with a smile on his face. He loved them, the both of them, a hell of a lot. And seeing them together... well. He wasn't as young as he liked to think he was anymore. Neither was Rhodey even if his platypus didn't want to admit it. Maybe it was time to change the will, make sure Dum-E went to someone who loved him as much as Tony did, someone who would live (hopefully) a hell of a lot longer. He wanted Peter and Dum-E to be happy even once he wasn't in the picture anymore.</p>
<p>Unlike his mother, he wanted them to have that while he was around too.</p>
<p>"Okay, okay. I'm sorry Dum-dum. You're right, you are a model son and you take very good care of me. You have ever since I was seventeen, okay? I'm sorry for my course and belligerent behavior, and as an apology will drink one of your awful shakes." Dum-E, who had stopped his outraged cries, lowered his claw and twisted it while considering. "Okay, two of the fu-uh-dging things. Please forgive me?"</p>
<p>Peter was still giggling, and it was music to his ears. Dum-E accepted his offer with a cheerful beep then zoomed away. Probably to make a fucking shake, and he should make sure he still knew where all his insurance cards were. Maybe even oughta update his will before taking anything to drink from the silly 'bot, just in case.</p>
<p>"Okay, squirt. Sideshow is over and now it's time to get down to science."</p>
<p>"Sweet! What are we going to do today?"</p>
<p>"The same thing we do every day, Peter."</p>
<p>"Try to take over the world?"</p>
<p>"To you I shall leave my vast empire, young padawan. You learn well."</p>
<p>"That's a stupid cartoon though."</p>
<p>"Excuse you, Pinky and the Brain is an excellent cartoon. You are just too young to have any sense of taste. I forgive you this time. Anyway, after we eat our snack - I think your uncle left us some dried fruit last time and I'm voting for that personally - we're gonna do some more stuff with DNA."</p>
<p>"Yes!" Added to the whoop of glee was Peter jumping up into the air, fist pumped up towards the ceiling. Tony didn't hate squishier sciences, exactly, but he wasn't very enthralled by them either. But his squirt would biology the day away if people would only let him, and he was concerningly interested in DNA. Kid had every hallmark of a mad scientist from the movies, and Tony only hoped he wasn't giving him the know-how to descend into evil doing and super villainy. He'd be more worried if Peter wasn't such a sweet goofball.</p>
<p>"Cool your jets kiddo.We're not doing anything too exciting just yet. Mostly more stuff with fruit and a couple things with Punnet squares. Which you really should not be so good at grasping yet. You're like five."</p>
<p>"I'm almost nine!"</p>
<p>"I have yet to see the paperwork." Even at almost nine Peter had an impressive eye-roll, one that had him fighting a smile. "I think you're just a tall, well-spoken five year old. That's my hypothesis."</p>
<p>"Not everything is science. Dork."</p>
<p>"Nerd."</p>
<p>"Old man." His indignant gasp made the kid start laughing again, which he would enjoy more if his feelings weren't so damned hurt. It didn't take more than a few seconds for Peter to wrap him up in another hug though, which did make things better. "Sorry. You are, but I shouldn't rub it in. Now come on! I bet there are dried apples, right? They're like chips Tony, it's great. Come on come on come on. Food and then science!"</p>
<p>It was funny, the way he found himself trailing after his squirt the same way Dum-E followed after them both. Maybe Parkers had some kind of magic or something, some special trait that drew in Starks of all kinds.</p>
<p>Maybe it was something he could have Peter check out when they graduated to human DNA.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you're all safe and healthy during these crazy times we live in. &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>